Tabulated gage for telegraphic or secret codes.



No. 880,905. PATENTED MAR. a, 1908.

B. McNEILL.

TABULATED GAGE FOR TELEGRAPHIC 0R SECRET CODES. APPLICATION FILED AUG.3.1907.

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PATBNTED MAR. 3, 190a.

B." McNEILL. TABULATED-GAGE FOR'TBLBGRAPHIG 0R SECRET CODES.

AIPLIGATION FILED AUG. 3.1901.

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UNIED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

BEDFORD MCNEILL, OF LONDON, ENGLAND.

TABULATED GAGE FOR TELEGRAPHIC OR SECRET CODES.

Application filed August 3, 1907.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, BEDFORD MoNEILL, a subject of His Majesty the Kingof Great Britain, and a resident of London, England, have invented acertain new and useful Improvement in T abulated Gages for Telegraphicor Secret Codes, of which the following is a specification.

In telegraphic or secret codes it is now common to have a series ofarbitrarily selected words or numbers usually arranged in alphabeticalor numerical order and each word or number corresponds with a more orless complete sentence or different word.

In practical use it is not uncommon for a person who desires secrecy toarrange with his correspondent that when he uses say the third word ornumber on any page that he attaches to it the meaning set opposite saythe third word following it, or such other combination as may be agreedbetween the parties, but such an' arrangement is so constant that inpractice it is frequently not di'flicult for others to discover thearrangement made and to properly translate what is intended to be asecret message.

According to the present invention it is proposed to employ a tabulatedgage which may be either removable or attached to each sheet or page ofthe code and so marked that if say the third code word has been used itindicates that the twenty-seventh or other word is. intended. Such agage may be constructed in various ways but a convenient and efficaciousform would consist of a plate with an opening therein corresponding tothe column of words or figures of the code and marked on one side withthe numbers corre sponding thereto in numerical order and on the otherside of the opening with the arbitrarily selected number of the codeword intended to be meant thereby. Thus for eX- ample if the numbers 1,2, 3, and so on upon one side of the gage are placed opposite the first,second, and third word of the code, on the other side may be placed thefigures 12, 6, 29, or as desired and for translation of such a codemessage if the first three words had been used it will be only necessaryto glance down the column until the twelfth word is reached totranscribe its meaning, then go to the sixth word, transcribe that, andthen the twenty-ninth. Such gages can be made of metal, cardboard, orother suitable material as may be desired, and if preferred the figureson one or both sides of the gage may be Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented March 3, 1908.

Serial No. 386,895.

on blocks or other removable pieces sliding in grooves or otherwiseattached to the gage so that changes in the relative position of thefigures on opposite sides may readily be made as between any two or morecorrespondents. For decodification the procedure is the exact reverse ofthat for codification.

In the accompanying drawings :Figure 1 represents a cardboard or likegage made in accordance with this invention, Fig. 2 a

gage of metal or other hard material with removable blocks, Fig. 3 is anend elevation of Fig. 2, and Fig. 4 a perspective view of one of theremovable blocks, while Fig. 5 shows the gage when laid or applied to apage of the code book.

In the construction of gage shown in Figs. 1 and 5 columns A and F areformed in one piece constituting a frame adapted to fit over andsurround the code words as shown in the latter figure.

In Figs. 2 and 3 columns A B O are shown as separate blocks carryingthree or more figures carried by a dovetailed projecting piece G adaptedto slide in a corresponding groove in the frame of the gage, as doesalso the dovetailed piece H of the index finger or plate D.

It will be obvious that the numbers on the right of the gage at A may bearranged in any given order as agreed between any two correspondents andas illustrated in Fig. 2 there may be a series of columns A, B, O, ofsuch irregular numbers each of which may be used for a given time orwith a different correspondent and for convenience in reading from oneside to the other of the gage and for directing the eye the movableindex finger or plate D may be employed. As an example let it be assumedthat two correspondents have agreed to the sequence of numbers as shownin column A on the right of Fig. 1, and in response to an inquiry as towhether an offer to supply certain goods still subsists it is desired toreply in the affirmative'o'r to say Still holds good.

Opposite this sentence in the code E Fig. 5 v

the right of the gage shows the figure 2 in column A and opposite 2 onthe left of the gage in column F appears the word Eingri which istelegraphed and which apparently means Hold for The correspondenthowever by placingthe gage on the page containing Eingriff (see Fig. 5)finds that it is the second word and that opposite the figure 2 on theleft in column A is the figure 9 on the right and that the meaning isreally that set opposite the ninth Word on the page which ha pens to be"Einhert and means Still ho ds good.

What I claim is 1. A tabulated gage for telegraphic or secret codeshaving upon one side figures to correspond with the code words in theorder in whlch they appear and having upon the other side arbitrarilyselected numbers of the code Words intended to be meant thereby.

2. A tabulated gage for telegraphic or secret codes consisting of aplate having an opening therein corresponding to the column of words ofthe code and having upon one side of the opening numbers correspondingto said words arranged in numerical order, and on the other side of theopening having arbitrarily selected numbers of the code Words intendedto be meant thereby.

3. A tabulated gage for telegraphic or secret codes consisting of aplate having an opening therein corres onding to the code words in theorder in W ich they appear, and having upon one side of the openingnumbers corresponding to said code words, and having on the other sidecolumns of arbitrarily selected numbers of the code Words intended to bemeant thereby.

4. A tabulated gage for telegra hic or secret codes consisting of aplate aving an opening therein corresponding to the code words in theorder in which they appear, and having upon one side of the openingnumbers corresponding to said code words, and upon the other sidemovable blocks carrying arbitrarily selected numbers of the code wordsintended to be meant thereby.

5. A tabulated gage for telegraphic or secret codes consisting of aplate having an opening therein corresponding to the code words in theorder in which they appear, and having upon one side of the openingmovable blocks carrying numbers corresponding to said code Words, and.upon the other side movable blocks carrying arbitrarily selectednumbers of the code words intended to be meant thereby.

6. A tabulated gage for telegraphic or secret codes having upon one sidefigures to correspond with the code words in the order in which theyappear and having upon the other side arbitrarily selected numbers ofthe code words intended to be meant thereby, and a movable index fingerfor directing the eye to the reading.

' In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence oftwo subscribing witnesses.

BEDFORD MoNEILL.

Witnesses:

THOMAS HARRY EVERETT, GEORGE DORWARD PHILLIPS.

